Dad Charged in Son’s Hot-Car Death Asked About Life Insurance: Warrant

Justin Ross Harris, the Georgia father accused of murdering his toddler by leaving him in a sweltering SUV, had asked family members how to cash in on the boy’s life insurance policies, investigators said. The disturbing detail was revealed in search warrants released Friday.

A judge denied the Marietta man bond on Thursday. Prosecutors laid out a possible motive for why Harris allegedly left his 22-month-old son, Cooper, in the car while he was at work June 18. A detective testified that Harris was unhappy in his marriage, had been sexting with other women and had visited websites about the “child-free” life. Harris and his wife had taken out two life insurance policies on Cooper, for $2,000 and $25,000. The search warrants also revealed that Harris had about $4,000 in credit card debt, and on the day that his son was found dead, he had earlier returned to his car after lunch — something he failed to tell investigators.